Manjit's - the unveiling of the pots

Ceramics involves many processes of which we participated int he first, with our clay day.....after several other processes that Celeste and I carried the pots through to they were finally unveiled!

funnily enough there was also a drug rep dinner happening at Manjits that night so we saw Uncle Frank, Eng and Uncle Tony.  I bet we had a better time than they did..........!

 We all thought Judy had very nice jugs......

 Janice and Rhona displaying their wares.......

The lovely Lynelle humoring our childish glee at seeing our pots............................  We'll turn her into a pot head yet!!!      

 We all had such a lovely time playing spot the crack pot.........

Hello ..... what's all this?

Managing 4 surgeries and 1 art gallery I have decided to blog about it. They are all related somehow, mostly because I run them and staff move around between them (though not as much as me!). In an effort to keep the surgeries in touch with each other I hope this blog will give people a fun diversion to slack off at work and still look like they are working.

Running surgeries is about people people people, I don't care if you are a doctor, patient or receptionist yous all are PEOPLE!

Staff clay day

Of the 12 or so administration staff I invited, only 3 could come up to Cloud Farm Studio of Celeste Coucke and Stephen Fearnley, 2 local artist just outside of Robertson.

I want to make 2010 the year of doing more social activities with staff, but it seems like they all have a pretty full social schedule as it is!

We made 5 pieces each in the 1 day workshop and Celeste put them through bisque firing to harden them and then some were sawdust fired and others were glazed. It was a wonderful relaxing day and time seemed to pass very quickly as we all concentrated on forming our pots.

Ceramics has many processes and the forming of the clay in your hands is but one. Being also local to Robertson allowed me to see all the processes from how Celeste packed the kiln, to how the saw dust firepit looked after it had been burning for 4 days. I helped Celeste glaze some of the pots we made and also waxed the pots that were saw dust fired.

Though we all spent a whole day forming the pots, there were several more day's of work land processes that went into making the pots "finished". Many thanks to the amazing generosity with which Celeste shared her skills with us.

Annual Staff Gathering 2010

It’s that time of the year where all our associated surgeries get together and actually see each other in person!

2009 has been an eventful year with the opening of the Robertson Doctor in November and James Botham immigrating from the UK to join us. In early 2009 Chantelle Kerr joined us as our in house psychologist and has quickly earned the respect and admiration of patients and colleagues at the NPC. Nada Ismail swept in then out of the NPC from May till October where she had to return to Iraq for family reasons. In that short time she showed us what a caring and professional doctor she was and we shall miss her!

The 17th February is also a very special date because it’s the first anniversary of Tariq’s first day back at work after his amazing heart transplant. It’s great to have you back Tariq! You’ve been at work a whole year with your new heart!

In March 2009 Anthony Wilson, our in house Podiatrist started his very own practice in Woonona. Congratulations! It’s been great to see your journey from the UK to Bulli to fatherhood to your own private practice.

In July Ben had an exciting helicopter ride from Bowral to Liverpool and then escaped ICU after 3 weeks in a labyrinth of plastic tubing. Happily he’s back doing what he loves best and well as the other stuff.

We also lost a few doctors in 2009: Daiva Kuzinkoviene left in August to join a Sydney practice closer to where she lives, Dai Tran also stopped doing his regular Sundays at the NPC. Trung Huu Ngo passed his fellowship exam and decided to take a GP position closer to his home in Revesby. Philip Healey left the SPC to join another practice. Stephan Eriksson can be found continuing his GP registrar term with Mark Condon. At the tail end of 09 Bronwyn Neal was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and has now commenced her battle. We’re all behind you Bronwyn!

Staff too have come and gone in 2009: In July we saw Gail return to us after a spell working with a specialist. Great to have you back on board! Stacey has left to try her luck with one of our—ahem—competitors. Denise has moved on to work with PRP diagnostics. Kali Joined the SPC in March 2009 and has proven herself to be an excellent part of the team and a great knack at giving the doctors the best nicknames—(no I’m not telling what your nickname is). The SPC was no longer able to retain a practice nurse in its downsizing and we wish Nicole Dillon all the best in her future endeavors.

We all now have a web presence but our websites as well as a practice manager’s website that is designed to help doctors who want to join us make the steps they need to take, to get themselves and their families to our lovely part of the world.


I’d like to acknowledge and thank everyone who made 2009 (with all it’s small victories and prickly challenges) the year it was. I feel very lucky to work with this talented and caring group of professionals serving the 4 different communities we cover. To all the staff I’d like to say that despite what your payslip says each week you’re contribution is priceless.

Now on to 2010! Welcome to Cornelius O’Neil who has just popped in for a few weeks from Tasmania via Ireland, he’s currently at the NPC and it’s just grand that you’re here! Welcome to Shawn Ghahri from Chatswood via Iran—I expect him to join the SPC in April. Shawn has just moved into Wollongong with his lovely wife Roshanak and is currently working in Wollongong hospital A&E. I’m also looking forward to Mehdi Samari joining the NPC hopefully around the same time. He’s from Hillsdale (near East Gardens) via Iran. Ali Mahdavi will be taking some sessions at the Robertson Doctor as soon as we attain accreditation, he’s from Wollongong Via Iran (are there any doctors left in Iran?) and is currently working at Wollongong Hospital.

A good community is made up of lots of good relationships. This gathering is to celebrate the good community of US.